18 in 11

     Monday-Documents, documents, documents of Elder Sagae with rich rewards. 

With Zone leaders in Itapetininga

     Tuesday-We took a 4 hour bus drive to Itapetininga, where we did a division with the zone leaders there. I worked with Elder Martineau, a missionary who served nine months in the United States and had tons of wild stories from his time there. 

Awesome Churrascaria in Itapetininga

Espetinhos- meat on a stick

We had no set appointments, so we talked to people in the street and knocked doors the whole day in the chilling rain, but I absolutely loved it. It was an awesome day that I will never forget :)

We got a FREE LUNCH

Votorantum

     Wednesday-Early we took a bus to Sorocaba and got to work! We worked super and in the evening a super awesome couple in the ward called us and invited us to eat pizza with them, it was so nice of them. They are literally the best! I love them! :) 

Shortcut

     Thursday-We went to visit a few references in a father away neighborhood and to get back to our focus area, we took a shortcut through the hills and we got some great pictures :) Great days work!

     Friday-Division with Da Silva! He gave me a new belt because my other one was pretty destroyed. That evening there was an activity for integration with recent converts, also Da SIlva and I went to do baptismal interviews for the sisters that evening.

     Saturday-I stayed in division with Da SIlva and his comp Castaneda in Votorantim while Flores went the temple to see a sealing. 

Baptism of Ana's sister, Fernanda

     That evening our awesome recent convert's sister, Fernanda was baptized! It was amazing! I made a cake and we bought ice cream to celebrate (exactly what she wanted, haha.) The whole ward was there participating, it was such a special baptism for us ;)

     Sunday-We found out the transfer and so it was my last Sunday in the beloved ward of Barcelona! I gave a farewell talk and it was super sad leaving everyone behind :(

My old belt, DeSilva gave me a new one.

     I will finish my last 11 weeks of my mission training a new missionary in the area Gaupira, the biggest favela and the most productive area in the mission :) I will also be serving as district leader. Let's go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brother Alexandre and his wife

Vinicious and Jessica

BISHOP ALLEN

Cacau and his sisters

Brother Godoy

1D, Member Missionaries and the Pyramid of Conversion

Monday-Numbers, meeting with President, Alvis and I slept on a couch, Outback with President, and #SóAlegria.

     Tuesday-Same routine early rising heading out to Sorocaba! When we arrived in Sorocaba we got right to work, working closely with our recent converts and their friends and family members that have gone to church. Always working well with your recent converts results in more baptisms :) Also working well with members who have vision in terms of "...bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man," results in high baptisms and extended activity in the church. 

This past week a member named Nicole, who is 20 years old and who is going on a mission to Portugal soon brought a friend of hers to church, his name is Luan and he is 20 years old. He went to church, loved it, and we marked a baptismal date with him for that next week, which was this past week :) We followed up well with him during the week and brought members with us to every lesson, he read the Book of Mormon, prayed, and knew for himself that these things are true. Luan truly is elect. 

We will never know all things and therefore we cannot always know what is to happen, so we must always use the most basic principle of the Gospel, which is faith, believe in action. Our investigators go to church, listen to our message, read the Book of Mormon, and by their faith are baptized very shortly after, taking simply the first step. 

     Wednesday-We did a division with Zona Santana, a different zone in Sorocaba. I stayed in our area with my old pal Elder Taylor! :) It was good to work together and remember all of our good stories from Brasilandia! haha :)

     Thursday-We ended the division and shortly after we started with our interviews with President. We ate lunch and worked in our area and our interviews were last. President Farnes is incredible!!! The way he is able to raise others up and make them feel good is amazing! We feel so strongly his and Christs' love when we are with him. 

     Friday-We did a division with Da Silva! And it was also an investigator of ours' birthday today! So a day before I remembered a member in Sorocaba that makes customized T shirts, so we called him and asked him if he could make a custom One Direction t shirt for Sara because she loves 1D. He made it, and we gave it to her for her birthday on Friday and she flipped! :) She was SOOO happy hahahah! 

     Saturday-We followed with our investigators and Saturday we had stake conference in Barcelona! President Farnes gave an awesome talk/training about the "Pyramid of Conversion" which is doing 3 points of a pyramid, which are 1-Personal prayer and scripture study daily, 2- going to church to renew our baptismal covenants and learning together at church, and 3-Missionary work, acting like Christ in all things, actually acting, getting up, and working to love and help others. Doing these 3 points of the pyramid, we are promised a strengthened testimony and conversion. 

     After the conference Saturday night, we had the baptisms of Laun and Sara!!! Woohoo!!!! Awesome! 

    Sunday-Part 2 of the conference where we were able to bring many investigators and recent converts to see, great sweet spirit that day :) 

     After we had lunch and the same great member who made key lime pie for me on my birthday, and she made it again! :) So great! :)  I am so grateful to this great sister. After we got on the road to São Paulo! :) 

     Monday-Great lunch, and helping Elder Sagae get a bunch of documents for the mission. 

Leadership Counsel

Last pictures with Elder Medina

     This is my last week being an Assistant before I will step down to end my mission training a new missionary! All or nothing this week in Barcelona with Flores!!!

BARCELONA, SOROCABA

Assistants to President and Sister Farnes

This has been a very interesting week full of mixed emotions. Starting off last Monday...last Monday was the last day of Elder Felix and Elder Da Silva being together with us as APs. I have served with them the past two transfers and together we have developed a very strong lasting friendship, so Felix going home and Da Silva stepping down to train a new missionary before going home is difficult for us all.

Tuesday-Today Elder Alvis and I gave a training for the trainers and Elder Flores and Emanuel gave another one. We did it the same style as we did the last time, we gave a training to one group and then switched and gave the training again. The trainings were awesome! Well delivered with tons of participation and excitement!!!

We then had the presentation of who would train who. Then we had lunch and got to know better the new missionaries. Great day! Great energy!

That afternoon we packed up all our stuff and that night late, we got a ride to our new area and house. The first thing I noticed about our new area is that boy is it HOT!!!!

Our New Beautiful Chapel in Barcelona

Wednesday-We went to district meeting and a cool thing is that Elder Da Silva is in our zone so we will still see each other quite a bit! Fine meeting, then off to lunch! The members are super great here! They all support us a ton and want to help a lot! Super awesome, I’m so excited!

Elder Hunt's new area- Barcelona, Sorocaba

We basically spent the day getting our bearings, finding out where the good area to work is, where the chapel is, etc... We found some people, but here in Sorocaba, which is the interior of São Paulo, it is calmer, wealthier, and there just aren't as many people to talk to.  This makes missionary work a little bit harder, but it all makes up for it because of the awesome ward! 

Elder Hunt and Flores with Bishop Alan and New Member Ivan

Thursday-Work, work, work in the hot sun! This night we met the legendary Bispo Alan...who is THE BEST BISHOP EVER!!! (We brought him a cake.) I'm just so happy because I have never seen a ward who so fully supports missionary work and wants to help so much! It's wonderful!!!! :)

Barcelona, Sorocaba

Friday-We did a division with Elder Da Silva and it was great! He showed me the area a little better because he has already passed in our area. We also did soccer at the chapel as an activity for our investigators! 

Saturday-Hectic follow up with all our investigators for church the next day! 

Waiting for the bus in Sorocaba by the river

Capyvaras!  

(largest rodents in the world)

Sunday-We had ward counsel Sunday morning and then went to pick up investigators for church! We didn’t have quite as many people at church as we had hoped but it was still good. Also I gave a talk in sacrament meeting.

Elder Hunt with Ivan on his baptism day

Then afterwards we had the baptism of Ivan, a sweet man, also who was baptized was an 8 year old from the ward, the baptismal meeting had 70 people in it and the spirit was super strong, amazing, amazing amazing!!!!! 

The members in our new ward are the BEST!

We had lunch and then made the long trip back to São Paulo to pick up numbers etc.

Back to the President's house on Pday

Monday-Today we had a meeting with President at his house and we got PF Changs! It was great! 

Elder Hunt

PF Changs

I WAS REALLY HERE AND I REALLY LIVED

These last three transfers have been a very interesting time for me in many ways - the pressure, the stress, the salvation. After three transfers being an Assistant with three different companions in one area, I will be staying Assistant for one more, with the same companion Elder Flores, BUT we will be moving areas to area Barcelona, Sorocaba.

If anyone remembers, my first transfer as assistant I did a division in this area. With this change, Elder Flores and I will take care of all the zones in the Interior. To take care of the zones in the capital (Like I`ve been doing for the last three transfers) two new Assistants have been called, Elder Emmanuel a Brazilian who looks like a more handsome Prince William, and...Elder ALVIS!!!! My former comp from Itu who I absolutely love! I’m so pumped for them both, this will be incredible! 

In the end, I am excited for a change of area, but also the favela, the feelings, and 77 people I helped enter into the waters of baptism of Cantareira will be missed ever so dearly. Even with having to deal with not the most pleasant ward in the world, this area Cantareira will hold a special place in my heart for all time. 

Monday-This was a normal p day, BUT we spent a good part of the day preparing a training for the missionaries who are training new missionaries.

Tuesday-Split into two groups, and battling a sweaty fever and cough, Elder Felix and I trained one group of missionaries teaching them about how to work more efficiently in the field, while Elder Flores and Da Silva gave a training about how to better use our field instruments and how to help investigators receive personal revelation. Then, we switched groups and gave the same training again to the other group.

Amidst my sickness, the training went excellent, everyone was very open one with another, there was a lot of participation, and we were all able to leave that day having learned much and having been edified together, through the direction and doctrines of Christ. 

Wednesday-Today we were invited to President Farnes’ house to have a meeting in the morning and in the afternoon we had a ping pong tournament and played `headbands` with Zona Alphaville because they baptized the most in the month. We arrived in the mission office at about 6pm where we continued preparing everything for counsel, we prepared late into the night...

Thursday-Leadership counsel! I only slept about two hours the night before and we gave a wicked training about the growth of the mission! It was awesome, including a cool part with over 400 M&Ms, great exhausting day. 

Friday-We did our weekly investigator/recent convert soccer game at the chapel, but in the evening we received the transfer assignments so we had to go organize and talk with President about all the changes. 

Saturday-We spent a large part of our day organizing the transfer because now it will be done a bit differently, a little bit more complicated. We followed with our investigators and organized some more.

Hugo and Artur, on their baptism day with Elder Hunt and Elder Flores

Sunday-We had the baptisms of Hugo and his brother Artur, they were the last of their group of six friends to get baptized.  They are a super firm group and they all live on the same street. Their group will be interviewed to receive the Aaronic priesthood this upcoming week.

Hugo and Elder Hunt, in the waters of baptism

Elder Hunt is very sad to leave these wonderful new members of the church in Cantareira

It was a very tough and emotional day for us to leave all of our recent converts, :( but change is good, change is progress and progress is growth. There is no comfort in the growth zone and there is no growth in the comfort zone!

Partiu Barcelona. #FBBarcelona #Messi&Neymar

Elder Hunt